Ice and Fire
by StaryStaryNight
Summary: When The "Elder flame" of Asgared escapes her prison, Odin sends the only one eh know can bring her back- the one who took her out of musphelhime- loki. Loki goes after her in order to capture her and regain his freedom, but what will happen when he starts to have feelings for the elder flame? will loki choose his oldest friend, or his freedom?
1. Chapter 1 Golden comets and the great es

It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful comet Bruce banner has ever seen. It's color was a breathtaking mixture of red and orange and flaming gold, and it seemed to tare the night sky in half as it passed above his head. So close he could almost hear it's burning roar.

Bruce did not know much about comets and asteroids and other space objects. Clearly, he knew much more than you average person, but comparing to his knowledge in earth physics and radioactivity- his knowledge was lacking. He smiled softly as the comet passed on, leaving him alone with the desert silent, interfered only by the quite beeps and ticking noises of the devices in the van below him.

He inhaled deeply and took another sip of his hot, black, coffee, closing his eyes he listened to the silence of the night.

And then it crashed.

Banner never heard of comet's crashing. But the loud crash sounded like an explosion.

I wasn't to far away, couldn't be more then a three hours drive or so. A pillar of smoke rose from where he assumed the comet crashed. Only second later- all his devices started making noise at once. What was a soft and cal harmony of ticking and beeping became an ecstasy of loud noises, Bruce hurried down into the van.

The inside of Bruce banner's caravan was a catastrophe.

Old measuring devices, electronic gadgets, and so on trying their best to keep up with a new elegant laptop made by "stark" industries. The computer was the only thing Bruce took with him when he left of to work in the desert near New Mexico, and it kept all of his studies at hand.

Bruce cleared his desk from the piles of used paper and dishes and started to work. For the next hour he was conducting the orchestra of gadgets- trying to make sense in the sea of information from the comet.

"That can't be" he whispered and re-checked his data "but, but this is a voice- the pattern, its, its impossible"

On his screen there was a frequency. A sound wave **from the comet, **which could be played and heard.

"This is impossible" said banner, now aloud, he adapted his computer to play the frequency and waited, anxious.

A loud and massy voice filled his van, and Bruce adjusted his computer until her voice was heard crystal clear.

It was a human voice, human laughter, a female human's laughter. Bruce was overwhelmed. The laugh that filled his messy van a one of sheer joy, Bruce found that he was smiling, nearly laughing along. .

But then it stopped, with a sound of crash- the crash, the laugh turned to a scream of pain, and then it was over.

Bruce set silent for a while, shocked. He looked south, to the place where the comet crashed, where she crashed.

He didn't stand a chance against the CIA and shield; he will never make it there in time. But something inside him was urging him to go there, for that slight chance the he just might make it in time.

Bruce banner closed his laptop, got of his chair and started cleaning up his mess. He started by taking his used dishes to the kitchenette and washing them.

He had to keep his mind busy, keep it of the blazing comet and the laughing and crashing woman. He needed to stop thinking about that- he needed to do his damn dishes! "

In less than ten minutes" he told himself while fighting of his urge as well at the scum on one of his plastic plates "everybody will be there, the whole place will be filled with agents, ARMED agents, and you know just how much they like to have you around".

He put the plate aside and took another one, without really bothering about the first plate still being dirty.

"It shield business, there are going to be watchmen and scientists, maybe even nick fury, the whole nine yards, this is not for you banner, leave this to the big boys, this is really not for you, it has trouble written all over it like a damn neon sign!"

Five minutes later only half of the dishes were only half clean, and the messy caravan was racing its way trough the new-Mexican desert, right into the middle of the crash.

* * *

The light out of the Asgardian prison was blinding as it was blessed.

Loki forced himself to not narrow his eyes, not show any signs of weakness. He stood tall, held in enchanted shackles from loin to neck and walked by four of the palace finest guards, his mouth was muzzled so he will not attempt to speak to any of them. If wasn't so angry Loki just might have been flattered.

This was the first time in the past year that he was let out of his underground chamber, and he had a pretty solid guess as for why the allfather asked for him.

The reason for them to let him out filled Loki with the satisfaction of a proud mentor.

The first flame, the elder flame, the first flame to ever leave the gates of Muspelheim-has run away.

Loki knew this day would come, he simply hoped to not be around when it does.

It began with a deafening explosion. Loki heard the crashing and exploding noise from below and smirked in his prison. Next was the stench of burned flesh, smoke and fire, as the elder flame made her way up and above the ground.

Orders were shouted; guard armed themselves and ran down to their death, the asgardians had no idea what was coming for them.

"Give them hell kid" Loki whispered. He closed his eyes and listend with delight to the elder flame burn everything in her path.

Her escape lasted no more than an hour, and the silence that came afterwards was ever sweeter.

They led him to the throne room. Loki clenched his teeth with disgust. He hated each and every one of the arrogant faces in this room.

On the throne sat the man he once called father, and on his right, the man he grew up with- the one he used to call brother.

The throne hall was empty, nothing but the here of them and the guards.

The last time Loki saw this room it was full to no place, the all father made a parade of his trial, of the capture of his rebellious, the very thought of that day made Loki's blood go colder with grudge.

The guards stopped in front of Odin's throne. Odin put up his hand, the guards went on attention, then left his chains and moved away.

"Leave us" said the allfather.

"My lord-" said one of the guards with disbelieve.

"Leave at once" said the allfather.

"My lord" the guard nodded and the four of them turned on their heel and left. Loki heard the great door open and close. And then silence fell in the room.

The allfather rose from his throne, and with a swift movemne of his arm the chains and the muzzle fell to the ground.

"My son" started the All father, Loki couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

"I assume by the fact that I am standing again in this room that you didn't find her yet" he said.

"No" said the all father

"Much good these ravens of yours are" said Loki with a smile "why don't you consult with the norns for the matter?"

"This is none of you business" said Thor, breaking into the conversation. Loki examined the thunder god's expression- Tor was anxious and angry, Loki found that very delighting.

"I am willing to offer you a deal my son" said the all father.

"Do not call me as one of your kin Odin!" Loki spat.

Odin ignored him, and Loki could nearly feel his anger boil.

"We want you to bring the elder flame back" said Odin.

Loki smiled and with a voice only a bit more then a whisper said "no".

"How dare you disobey your king!?" shouted Thor, he seemed ready to strike Loki down before Odin stopped him.

"I am willing to offer you something you desire vary deeply- your freedom. In return for her's"

Loki stood still. In his dreams he thought that the all father might offer him his freedom in return for the elder flame, yet he never thought Odin would ever be desperate enough in order to do so.

"What do you say?" said Odin.

"How will I know you will keep your promise?" asked Loki.

Odin said nothing; instead, he reached into his clock and took out a small golden key, the key to his prison.

Loki smiled with dark bliss.

The flame was gone for nearly a month, getting her back will not be easy, getting her trust again- even harder.

But for his freedom, it was sure as hell worth it.

* * *

Hey!

thanks for reading!

this is the very first fanfic Iever write in english so i would very much like to have some feedback as for how it is written.

next chapter I'll be intreducing My new OC "the elder flame" so stay tuned~

if you were wondering- Yes, the will be more matur contant vary soon, wich is why the story is ranked M

see you again soon~


	2. Chapter 2: Heat

**Chapter 2- heat**

Lys's head was pounding like thunder. Each and every muscle in her body was aching , she didn't have to check to know that she had at list a few broken bones. She kept on moving, she had to.

For the past hour she was moving as fast as she could from the place of her crash, knowing that this will be the very first place they will look.

The night was cold, and dry, and the wind was beating her dark hair back and forth, her throat felt dry as the sand below her bare feet, and she had no protection from the wind but the rye dress she wore in her prison.

"Keep on walking" she told herself, trying her best to ignore her soreing body, step by step on an unknown land.

She had to keep warm. Lys was losing heat quickly, and she knew that if she wouldn't stop to regain her normal body warmth all her preparations for escape will be for nothing- for she will surely die.

Lys clenched her teeth to avoid them from chattering, and tried to walk a bit farther.

For the first time since she crashed of this realm. Lys dared to look back. She didn't go much distance at all- the pillar of smoke and fire was still clear in her sight. She would make it far the way.

Lys dropped to her knees and tried to ward her palms with her breath, the tried chanting, and using the last bits of her powers to heat up.

After what seemed like forever, she was finally able to light a tiny flame in her palms- not larger than a candle light and with a sickly pale color.

"That makes two of us ,little one" she said with a soft smile. The flame danced in her hands for a few more second- and went out.

"No!" She called out, tried robbing her hands together, gathering her force back "no! no! Please no!" she was losing more heat- and she was losing it fast.

She was back on her feet in a split second. She remembered other tricks, the first one was to run. So she ran.

Her broken legs couldn't carry her far, she kept tripping and falling and groan with pain, and still- she was losing her warmth.

She didn't know when she fell. Suddenly, she was on the ground, black spots dancing in her vision, taking over. And then all went quit and black.

* * *

At the base of the tree of worlds there was a cave. Perhaps "cave" would not be the right term for the residence of the norns, but Loki could not help himself to call it so.

"The cave" at the base of the tree of worlds was a huge underworld temple made of an impossible mixture of tunnels, halls and passages.

The entrance was a crack at the base of the grate tree, yet again- a crack was hardly a suitable term. The crack was twice as big as the gates to the throne hall of asgard and dark as the deepest pits of Niphelhim, a strange smell came from inside- if time, dust and eternity as a scent- this will be it.

Loki took a deep breath- and walked into the dark.

A man could wonder these tunnels for years and not cross his steps once, and never find the norns or his way out. He could be lost there all his life and more- for the residence of the norns was beyond death. But Loki was no ordinary man, he knew his way in the dark abyss and after a long walk in the dark, with no noise but his own steps and breath- he finally saw a light.

The norns set together, always and forever together, and weaved. They were weaving together the course of time and they will do so until it will come to an end.

"what do you seek here, prince of asgard, born of ice?" Spoke the first one- urd of what was, and her word felt like knifes, yet he knew worse was coming.

"why do you bother us, exiled king, captive and prisoner?" Spoke the second one, Verðandi of what is. Loki stood still nearly afraid to hear the words of the third one.

But the third one, Skuld of what will be spoke not; she smiled at his with a knowing grin of rotten teeth.

"It is not my prophecy you seek here liesmith, but my sister's, one prophecy at a time child" she said, her voice was a blur of countless cold and empty voices. Loki nearly quivered, on his way to the center of the temple he could not decide what would have been worse- to hear the norn of the future name him, or not to.

With a deep breath he pulled himself together and spoke.

"I wish to know the fate of Lys of Musphelhim, the elder flame, the blazing"

The three of them smiled deviously, and stood up, still weaving time and fate.

"betrayed and imprisoned, striped of her powers, with no home realm to return to for ages in a cage of gold" spoke urd "smiting her bounds she is blazing at last burning her way to leap from the sky" spoke urd. Loki could not help but notice she chose to ignore what was before. For that he was grateful- he did not need nor want to be reminded.

"In a foreign desert in a middle world, a world where her magic is nearly lost, she seeks for answers and truth untold"

This was it; this was the answer he wanted. The elder flame fell to Midgard. Loki felt his blood go cold.

'great, yet another trip to thor's precious little ball of dirt' he thought.

Skuld was still grinning knowingly, she spoke, and her voice sounded clear and dangerous.

"beware born of ice, for this is no game- you are will have to win her at her own terms. But even if you do, succeed or fail- this flame will remain your destruction and pain"

"wait!" Loki called, but the norns where already bursting to wicked laughter. As if they were never there, they faded to mist and smoke, Loki was in the dark again. Behind him- he could see the entrance to the norns'es cave.

With his heart feeling heavy as a block of lead- he began preparations for his journey.

* * *

well, I just couldn't help letting the norns in. i just love the original norse mythology, and many more charecter are gonna make guest apperance in this fic.

**please review, I really care for what you think of my work!**

****been writing really quickly- I don't know if I can keep this pace for long, but for now- you can expact a new chapter really soon~

another nice thing. I really like to add songs or music for my chapters, since I didn't do that last time I'm gonna post both of them now.

Chapter 1- golden comets and the great escape: watch?v=hM0fiegRbTg (feats better Loki's part the Banner's)

chapter 2- Heat watch?v=8G7mfgCuoHA

see you soon :)


	3. Chapter 3: Blank page

**Chapter 3: blank page**

The girl was freezing cold.

She was wearing a weird looking white dress of light fabric, her bare feet were injured, as was the rest of her body.

She was hardly breathing.

"Hey! Can you hear me?!" said Bruce.

He found her in the middle of the desert, hurt, and cold as dead. Her pulse weak pulse was the only evidence that she was still alive.

Bruce kneeled down and tried to cradle her thin body, to pick her up and take her to the van.

The girl was abnormally light, yet she held on to him with impossible force.

"so cold" she whispered "it's too cold"

"I know, it's going to be alright, I'm going to take you to a hospital, its going to be fine" he tried his best to calm her, yet she grabbed his arm even stronger .

"No! No hospital! Please! No!" she said, she first opened her eyes with fear, their color was bright amber, the color of fire.

"you are hurt" he tried, yet she held to him, her cold body felt like it was seeking heat, any form of heat.

"Please" she begged.

Bruce Banner heard people beg him for medical treatment before. In the slums of Calcutta he used to give it for free, since none of them could afford the hospitals in the city. He did the best he could with the little he had, he never offered hospitals or any other form of official medical care- he didn't want to make them tell him that they can't pay more than the little he asked them for his help.

Money was not the case with this girl, she feared something, and feared it terribly.

Bruce banner knew this kind of fear all too well, he was not going to let her down.

He laid her down in hit van and stated heating up the place, he searched the place for any kind of supplies that could help him treat her wounds while the van was growing hotter.

_'that's no use, she lost blood and can't do anything but stabilize the fractures' _he thought.

He knew only one person who might be able to help and keep a secret, he looked at the clock… and called anyway.

* * *

"tony" pepper said and nudged him to wake him up.

"Hum?" he hummed, half asleep.

"Your phone, it's ringing"

Tony stark reached out for his phone, perfectly ready to dismiss the call.

He had no idea why he answered; maybe the half-awake part of him knew that Bruce wouldn't call for no reason.

"Bruce, what the hell, it 4 in the morning" he groaned at the phone.

"_I know tony, I'm sorry but this is an emergency. Have this girl here, she's wounded, she might not make it through the night"_

"Get her to a hospital Bruce"

"_Tony she fell out of the sky!"_

Tony blinked twice, not sure if he heard right.

"What did you-"

_"Tony, she begged me not to take her to a hospital, I think someone is after her, she literaly fell out of the sky. I need your help"_

_"_where are you?"

_"New-Mexico, I'm making the way now to santé-fe" _

"I'll have a medical chopper pick you up, don't do anything stupid in the meantime!"

"thanks tony, I owe you one"

"you owe me about fifteen but never mind that, get her hear before shield find out"

"thanks tony".

Tony fell back to his bed. Last time people were falling out of the sky it was hardly pleasant, but he knew damn well that if shield got the girl first, it would be unpleasant for everybody involved, especially the girl.

"Jarvis" he said.

"Right ahead of you sir" spoke the house computer.

Tony mumbled with frustration and fell right back to sleep.

* * *

_"what's your name?" asked the boy, his eyes were emerald green and his hair black as a raven. Trough her tears, Lys thought he was beautiful._

_"L,Lys" she mumbled. She had many names; Lys was the one that she liked._

_"I'm Loki, of Asgard" said the boy "what are you doing here?"_

_Lys did not answer, simply because she had no idea where "here" was. She ran as fast as she could, she ran into the abyss, and she burned her way on the bridge in the sky._

_"I, I don't know" she said, she was fighting back her tears, she closed her eyes, tried to shut the world out._

_It was no good._

_Behind her closed eyes she could see it all again- the fire, and the water, her father's face and his sword. _

_"it's ok Lys. Everything is going to be alright. Now, do you think maybe you could stop this fire?"_

_"No!" she called. Fire must never be stopped, she knew that well. Stopping fire meant dyeing – so was known._

_The boy seemed disappointed. Troubled even. _

_They were in a smell cave, the outside was burning. She didn't even remember starting that fire, she had no idea where was this cave or where did the boy come from._

_"You are in the forests of Midgard, you are from Musphelhime- are you?" he said, as if reading her mind. _

_Lys nodded; closing her eyes again she tried her best to fight boiling tears that were now welling down her face._

_"I asked my brother to give me some time to calm the core of the fire, if you don't stop it by yourself they are going to have to put it out" he said, he reached out and touched her cheek, he was hurt by her heat, and yet tried to stay calm._

_"are you going to take me back to Musphelhime?" she asked, sheer terror in her eyes._

_The boy smiled and said "Not if you don't want us to"._

_For the first time ever, Loki saw Lys smile. Her smile was bright and warm as the winter sun, he smiled back at her._

_"Now, do you think maybe you could calm this fire down? Center it back here" he said and place his palm over her heart._

_Lys nodded. She closed her eyes ant took a deep breath. _

_"that better" the boy said. _

_She felt warm inside again, as if all the fire in the world returned to her, her mind cleared. She smiled and laughed nervously._

_Loki was offering her his hand. She took it. His hand was cool, yet comforting. Lys walked his him out of the dark of the cave into the burned forest and to his party, and his home._

_She stayed with him in Asgard, her confronted his father and begged him to let her stay, after a long argument the all father consented, and she remained in the realm of the aesir as their guest._

_Life could have remained perfect as they were. _

_But it took only one year before surtr found that she was still alive._

* * *

Bruce help the man sent by stark to the chpper, one of them, a man named happy Hogan- he met before.

Tony sent a paramedic with the chopper, he and bruce got the girl buckled of to a bed of the chopper and started working.

_Lys was at a dark place. She was not yet awake, that she knew. _

_Far away, above her she saw a light._

_"I can't get there" she whispered._

_She was floating in a silent and everlasting dark, soon, she knew, she will be dead._

_"it was all for nothing Lys" she told herself "they captured you, and now you are going to die after all, you good for nothing fool"_

"do you have a defibrillator?!" Bruce shouted, the paramedic nodded and started setting the red case to work.

"Come on! Don't die!" Bruce called as he kept on trying to resuscitate the girl's weak body, he was going out of breath, and the girl was still dying.

Her face was going paler and paler by the second, and all hit attempts to get her warmer failed. She was not bleeding anymore- she seemed to be going out like a candle.

Bruce did not want to think what would happen if she died up in the air, if he'll be able to control his nerves. He saw death before, people died in his arms before- it was never easy. But up in the air, knowing that he alone was her only chance- Bruce feared for the others on the flight.

_Lys reached up for the light. She managed to fly closer to it, powered by her will to live._

_But she was still to heavy. There was so much keeping her down, her anger, her broken heart and soul. She had to let everything go if she wanted to make it to the light, make it back to life._

_She could hear explosions in her ears, and the light above her seemed to flicker._

_She took a deep breath, and started letting go._

"CLEAR!" the paramedic called and brought the defibrillator to the girl's chest, pressing it down as here weak body jolted up. Her pulse was still gone.

"CLEAR!" he shouted once more and gave her another jolt.

_Ly's was letting everything go. Musphelhaim, Asgard, her prison, her father, all of her names but the one she loved most._

_And as she forgot, she grew closer to the light._

_There was one thing she couldn't let go of- Loki's offered hand, and the very first time she saw him. She kept everything else aside._

_The hate was too heavy, so she let go of it to. All she kept was a faint warning- to herself, never to trust him again._

_She felt light as she felt empty- and she reached for the light._

"Doctor Banner. I'm sorry" said the paramedic "she is dead"

Bruce closed his eyes, inside him he felt the other guy fighting to break free, he clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on the girl's hand.

He was ready to jump off, he didn't know if he'll survive the fall, but he knew that if he will lose the fight within him they will all be dead.

"You are hurting my hand" he heard a faint whisper.

The girl was alive.

* * *

hey there! thnkes for reading!

no loki this time, sorry, but he will have a huge part next time- promis.

song of the chapter:

where is my mind?: watch?v=BlDv44SeKBY (not the original ver. with all due respect for the pixies- I like this one better)

sombody asked me what Lys's name mean- well, Lys is the nordic word for "light". she has may other names, like she can have many form- she is a flame so she never **really** settles in anything.

I know i said I won't be able to keep this pace, but I really wanna get to the good stuff~ and I'm sick, so I'm home, so I have tons of time~

see you soon!


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